By Cameron Small
Hometown Weekly Correspondent
Curtains are up on a new production from Needham Community Theater (NCT) this upcoming weekend as “The Crucible” takes the stage. Arthur Miller’s 1953 drama The Crucible, directed by Marianne Phinney, opens at the Newman Elementary School on May 10. Tickets can be ordered online in advance at needhamtheatre.org, or purchased at the door.
Originally written as during the Red Scare of Communism in the 1950s, Miller’s play is meant to be “a parable of what happens when hearsay is taken as fact and accusation presumes guilt,” per the NCT summary. For those unfamiliar with the play, “The Crucible” is commonly set during the Salem Witch Trials of 1692 where Miller took his original inspiration. Needham Community Theater summarizes the play on their website as “A group of young girls in the town are caught dancing in the forest. To avoid admitting the truth, they blame others, including the slave Tituba, of witchcraft. When the accusations spiral out of control and his wife Elizabeth is arrested, John Proctor tries to discredit the afflicted girls as liars but is condemned as a witch himself.”
“The Crucible” differs from past productions of NCT. Becky King, who portrays Ann Putnam in the upcoming production, says “Often NCT productions are light, comedic, farces. This show is a favorite for actors because of Arthur Miller's language and the intensity of the characters.” King first appeared onstage with NCT in 2000 with their production of “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.”
Kim Marie Nicols, who portrays Rebecca Nurse, is also a veteran performer with NCT. Nicols first appeared onstage with NCT twenty-two years ago in a different production of “The Crucible.” Then, Nicols says, “I played the duo parts of Martha Corey off stage and ‘Goody’ Sarah Good on stage in the jail scene. It was such fun portraying a character who was crazy and shared a dirty cell with Tituba.”
Members of the cast are excited about the production, ranging from familial history with the original events to making NCT debuts, to returning to the stage after time away. Nicols says “It has been exciting to be cast in ‘’The Crucible’ once again with wonderful actors and an excellent director. I have done a lot of online historical research in preparation for this show, which has been shared with the cast and crew. I have discovered both my own ancestral uncle’s role in Salem events in 1692 (Nathaniel Ingersoll ran the tavern where hearings were held), and original documents such as the petition submitted to the court vouching for the good character of Rebecca Nurse and signed by 39 of her neighbors.”
King says, “Personally, I have a strong connection to this play—historically I have an ancestor who was accused and hanged for witchcraft. And, of course, in the craziness of our current political and media climate this centuries-old chapter of history still resonates–as it did in the 1950s when Miller wrote the play.”
With the cast excited, audiences should be excited too. It does not seem like it will be like traditional productions. According to Nicols, “ the characters will not be dressed in traditional Puritan costumes. Instead, we will be in nondescript clothing that doesn’t tie the play to a specific era…The play can be seen as timeless, depicting what happens when people are accused on flimsy (spectral or hearsay) evidence, and how it personally affects them and the reverberating impact it has upon their society.”
“The Crucible” will be performed at 8pm on May 10, 11, 17, 18, and at 2 pm on May 19. See needhamtheatre.org for more information.
